There are several technologies for manufacturing of plastic fuel tanks currently available in an automotive industry. One of the technologies known in the art includes two or more pieces of coated steel combined with classical metal joining technologies. Another technology comprises blow molding of a thermoplastic polymer melt. The molded plastic tanks are more expensive, but have significant design and flexibility advantages compared with metal tanks. Both technologies do not provide an effective hydrocarbon barrier for a plastic fuel tank.
There is a big concern with automotive generated pollutants. There is also an immediate need for an improved gasoline tank technology that would be capable of allowing the use of oxygenated fuel additives without deleterious evaporative effects while maintaining the cost and design advantages associated with existing tank technologies.
Nanocomposites, known to one skilled in the art, may solve the current problem with air pollution and hydrocarbon emissions. The nanocomposites may slow transmission of gases and moisture vapor through plastics by creating so called “tortuous path” for gas molecules. Based on recent EPIC studies, nanocomposites, commercially beneficial, may be used for reducing hydrocarbon emissions from hoses, seals, auto fuel-system components and the like. However the use of nanocomposites may still be expensive.
Therefore, it would be desirable to come up with a cost and time effective method of creating a strong hydrocarbon barrier inside the plastic fuel tanks to prevent hydrocarbon emissions that could cause pollution an explosion of a gas tank.